The Forgotten God (Table 3) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

i have some cure potions, or were they included in that feeding them wouldn't help? and how many am i hauling back?

Four people. Curative magic would help get them back on their feet - not instantly to perfect health, but definitely out of the danger zone.

Harath will pull out his Wand of Cure Light Wounds and give a charge to each of them, and see how much better they feel. He may give additional charges as well, If they aren't feeling well enough to move out of the danger zone.

cure: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
cure: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
cure: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
cure: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Gonna need some UMD rolls for those, since I'm pretty sure CLW isn't on your spell list. XD Unless it is and I just missed it, of course.

The men groaned as the magic sunk into their bodies, but as was to be expected from curative magic, it was definitely helping them feel better. The one whose mind you'd contacted groaned as he looked up at you. "Wha... what's goin' on...?" he said, sounding much more coherent than before.

Ah, i didn't roll it since it was out of combat and failure has no consequence except a natural 1 shuts the wand down for 24hrs.

UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 vs DC 20
UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21 vs DC 20

no natural 1, but a few close calls!

"Shh, be quiet. We need to get you back to Terrin. Or at least out of this place. I hope you have some good intel for him." Harath whispers to the men.

To the one he contacted mentally, he adds <<If you know anything, you should tell me mentally so anyone nearby can't overhear.>>

Which, in fairness, would be an actual consequence right now. XD ...Raising UMD is probably not something you'll regret.

<<We found... we found out where the clan's hiding, where their leader is. That's the most important thing.>> the one you'd contacted explained - and the feelings that came with it were powerful. Even with all he'd suffered, this was something his mind had focused on and worked to keep safe.

Harath will try to remember it as vividly as the guy is sending it to him. And regarding the heals, i was actually planning on giving them potions until i realized i had a wand and the potions would better serve me in combat.

autohypnosis to remember: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Harath will lead them as best he can back to the town.

Through which path? The tunnels beneath the manor, or over the road and to the gates? This matters. XD

the tunnels would be the wisest path, and the one he will take.

It was quite dark out by the time you managed to get the scouts through the tunnels, given the speed at which they were hobbling along. They managed it in the end, though, even if most of them looked like they wanted to do nothing other than sleep for a week. As you opened the hatch, however, you found yourself face-to-face with half a dozen spear points - and behind what looked like a significant portion of the town's militia was the mayor.

"I see you're back." he said, staring at you. "So there really is a passage out of town down there... interesting."

"Indeed. An interesting development, what with the spears and all. Is this meant to stop me?" he asks, gesturing to the spears.

"Well, we hardly knew what would be coming out of the tunnels." the Mayor said, still somewhat wary. "And I seem to recall giving strict orders to seal off the town and have nobody going in or out. Who knows what might've happened if some orcs had snuck in through the tunnels and none of us knew? So imagine my surprise when this silver raven just flutters right down in front of Terrin and squawks a message about the orcs knowing about a tunnel, and chasing them out but them possibly returning. I wonder who sent that." His mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren't. "Our village is under attack, and I cannot allow attacks on my authority if we're going to survive. I don't like being an autocrat, but that's what wars require."

He's clearly leaning in the direction of simply arresting you as part of an effort to maintain his authority in town - if you want to dissuade him, you'll have to come up with something fairly quick.

"Ah, but there was no attack, your mayorship. I was merely recovering your assets. I took care of half a dozen or so orcs in the way, but the rest ran away. I am but one man, after all. More's the shame, too, since I forgot to bring my weapon with me when I came. I might have gotten the others, then."

if i can, i'd like to throw a little intimidate at the soldiers, not at the mayor. the quip about half a dozen orcs, and there are half a dozen guards, only one of me... if not, disregard i guess. they are probably in my 10ft fear aura, though that lists no numeric effect outside of reduced saves against fear and lost immunity.
intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Effects are as written. XD

The guards recoiled slightly, recognizing the sincerity in your tone and the implicit threat there - and the Mayor scowled at them. "Get him up here." he said - and it was one of the older, braver-looking ones that extended a hand to help you up and then glanced quizzically down into the cellar... just in time to see the scouts.

"Um, M-Mayor, our scouts! He found them!"

"You what!?"

oh, woops. i was thinking i was meeting them on even ground (i should have paid attention to the word "hatch" in your post) and assumed he could see the scouts behind me :D

"Yes, your assets. I went out to reclaim them. From the demons and the orcs I killed. They have information, and probably need better medical attention than I can give, and a debrief from the successful mission that their leader wisely sent them on."

It took several minutes to get all the scouts up and out, due in no small part to their general weakness after being starved and then needing to walk quite a distance. The good news? There was no shortage of helpers, and eventually they just used a bunch of rope to lift the men out while a few runners fetched food and water. Once they'd eaten, the scouts relayed their tale of what had happened - including the location of the orc tribe's home and what they'd overheard.

Once that was finished, the town was still... tense... but at the same time, the concern about you seemed to be dying down.

Vegazi was still busy making herself scarce, given the town's attitudes towards orcs at the moment. At the moment, what was more important was what you planned to do with your information...

Harath's plan in general was to change into the armor he had recently had finished, something he had forgotten to do in all the excitement.

Then, he wanted to get some food and a little bit of wine. If Terrin came to him in this time, so much the better, but if he didn't, Harath would seek Terrin out to see what had become of the man after the mayor had been slighted.

As it turned out, there'd been quite a bit of heated talking - but not in public, mainly due to the fact that the mayor didn't want to have such an obvious loss of face. Terrin was looking rather sour until he heard about the scouts, and you could quite literally see joy returning to his face.

(A nice feeling, that one - witnessing mortals' dreams coming true was part of your portfolio.)

He seemed quite willing to offer whatever help he could.

Harath, upon seeing Terrin, asks, "So... Your scouts have been returned. What now?"

Terrin downed a drink, taking more than a few long swallows from it. "You don't win wars by staying on the defensive." he said. "If we know where their base is, the best plan would be to take it out as fast as we can. Unfortunately, the mayor doesn't really want to release any 'assets' that could be used to protect the town. I suppose I can't blame him. I mean, our families are here, and everyone sent on a raid is someone not protecting them. I'd probably make the same decision, but that doesn't mean I have to like it - especially after what those animals did to Wate."

"Yeah. There are some powerful entities among the enemy, but they might also be losing the interest of their patrons. That leads me to believe two things, though I wouldn't consider myself an expert in demons or orcs, so take this with a grain of salt... but, it would tell me that either they will attack soon to impress their patrons, or, they will go back to being normal-ish orcs, which is to say they might attack anyway. I can't win the war single-handedly, and an assault would be folly if you weren't prepared to go at it one hundred percent. Can the city withstand an indefinite state such that it is in?"

"We can stand them off for a time." Terrin said, nodding as he wiped his lips. "That's what this town was built for, after all - it might be easier than you think, though. I mean, it'd be one thing if they were all clustered together, but you've spent the last few days systematically taking down groups of their warriors. They can't be at full strength anymore - those that're left are probably worried about their own hides, or wondering if it's time to get a promotion. We don't really need to kill all of them, though - if the leader goes down, that'll probably break their agreement, and they won't want to attack for quite awhile if they think we can pick off their leaders at will."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose that could potentially be doable, but technically anything is in the realm of possibility. I'm not sure which is less of a suicide mission... trying to attack them at their current base or wait until they are trying to siege this place."

"for a time" do i get the impression that would be measured in hours, days, weeks?

Probably weeks, if need be, unless the orcs gather enough power to overwhelm them. The town is right by the border of Belkzen - home of marauding orcs - and Ustalav - with armies of undead. They build some pretty sturdy walls because of that. XD

Notably, among the scouts' information is that the tribe and their leader seem to be in different places.

ah, in that case then i guess it is feasible. it sounds like a terrible idea, but i don't imagine you'd throw certain death at me

Not anymore. That's only once in this campaign, for plot reasons, and you've already done that. XD The town's supplies are fairly limited, but if you'd like to prepare for anything else first, you can at least look around for anything you think will improve your chances. What would you like to do?

I am probably good, no particular ideas on needs. Just need to rest and recoup abilities/points

"Well, I suppose this is the part where I get asked to go do it, perhaps get offered some item that will be invaluable in completing the task, come back, the mayor tries to arrest me..."

"Ack, he means well." Terrin said. "If the orcs were scattered, though, he'd do the right thing and recognize you as a hero - after all, there'd be no more threat, and no need to try and harshly ensure power for the sake of the town. We know nonsense when we need it. 'Fraid I don't have any invaluable items, but I can at least give you some pointers on navigating the wilds. Nothin' quite like sneaking up on a camp only to realize they spotted you a mile out."

"Yeah, when trying to find your guys, I realized how difficult it is around here. If you want me to deal with the enemy leader, I am probably going to need an escort at least to the general area."

Terrin nodded. "I can't have anyone available until morning, when the men you rescued should be up to doing more. I'm not sure they'll be up for fighting, but they should be able to show you what they saw, at least." he explained. Nobody else actually knew where it was - the information would be second-hand directions at best, always a little chancy.

"Yeah, probably best no one else tries to fight unless everyone tries to fight. But someone who can make it back on their own after getting me close would be appreciated. All these paths around here look the same."

Terrin nodded again. "I'll arrange it." he said. "Get some rest - you've more than earned it, and they need time to help my men anyway. I'll see you by the gates tomorrow." With that, he finished off what little was left of his drink, then nodded and departed. If you wanted to make any further preparations, now was probably a good time, since you had quite a few hours to kill - otherwise, there wasn't much else to do but head back and rest.

Harath will return to his room, take inventory of the collection of random small items he had picked up here and there, ensure his weapons and armor are in good condition, and lay down to rest.

He will sleep in his light armor in case anything comes up, but will change into his breastplate in the morning.

Fortunately, the night seemed quiet enough - you were able to get through it peacefully, waking up refreshed and re-energized. The town seemed busy even near dawn, and it didn't take too long to learn why - the orcs had attacked at some point in the night. It hadn't been a heavy assault - more of a testing maneuver to see how well the town reacted - but it was clear they hadn't given up their plans for attack just yet. Vegazi was remaining distant, apparently trying to stay out of the sight of any devils seeking her out.

Near the front gates of town was one of the scouts - the one whose mind you'd connected to, as it happened, looking pale but ready to head out when you were ready.

Incidentally, what method of transport do you want to use? Riding horses, walking, something else...?

whatever makes sense, given the terrain and timeframe.

Greeting the man, Harath instructs him as to conduct expected beyond the gates. "If we are to encounter the enemy, use your best judgement to preserve your life. I need you alive to get me to our objective. If we encounter the enemy and we are not yet at the destination, do your best to hide or evade them until I take care of them, then return to guide me. Once I am in sight of the objective, return to the city."

The scout nodded, though he still didn't look especially excited about any of this - and the reason for this became apparent mid-afternoon, when you arrived near the base of a mountain the guide cited as Eiseth’s Roost. Far up the mountain, you could see a couple of small, distant lights. It looked like it would take three hours or so to make your way up it unless you had some faster method of ascent.

"Well, the climb doesn't look all that fun, but I suppose arriving at night suits my plans as well as any."

Night it was, with three hours of hiking your way through difficult terrain up the mountain. The scout didn't join you - he was clearly exhausted after the trip, and there was... not so much a trail, exactly, but a navigable path upwards.

You are, however, Fatigued - walking all day, followed by tough climbing, causes that sort of thing.

Finally, the steep, winding path up the mountain levels out at a flat, rocky expanse. A short flight of stairs carved into the mountain leads up ten feet to the east; a ruined staircase made of piled stones once connected that level to the one above it to the southeast. To the northeast soars a fifty-foot tall cliff side leading to the mountain’s peak.

There's one humanoid figure near the stairs, lit by the light of several braziers. Several birds wheel overhead, and what looks to be a hellhound of some kind is near the figure. You're too far away for them to have spotted you yet, though without some very advanced stealth, it's unlikely you'll be able to sneak by.

ack, i didint know fatigue was on the table as a possibility, i would like to have rested in that case.

I did try to give a hint in noting how long you'd been traveling. XD Resting now that you're up'll take eight hours - right close to dawn. You sure you want to wait that long?

i guess i am not good at hints via text. i will try to rest though, fatigued is pretty bad for a solo excursion against a warlord. I'd try to find a place where i can rest without being seen.

After some squirming around, you eventually manage to find a deep outcropping that's out of sight of the birds, and spend much of the night there. As you wake, you can see that it hasn't gotten much lighter out, and the clouds have a distinctly unpleasant, reddish tint to them. There's no open sky to be seen. Creeping back, you can also see that the guard has moved around a bit, and is currently sitting on the ground behind the hellish hound.

Slightly refreshed, Harath creeps forward in an attempt to infiltrate the compound.

stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

...and did not succeed. The Hellhound let out a snarl as you got close, having had apparently no trouble at all finding you, and the woman next to him - masked, as it turned out - leapt to her feet. The braziers flared brighter as she looked over at you... though she didn't attack.

"...I advise you to turn back now, stranger, 'lest the ravens feast on your entrails for breakfast this day."

Holding his hands up in a sign of surrender, Harath says, "Oh, shoot, I have no idea where I am. I will retrace my steps then, pardon the interruption."

Harath then leaves back the way he came, waits a few minutes, then tries to circumvent the guard once more.

stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

GHAHA

*Snrk*

You couldn't see the expression behind her mask, but it was probably one that wasn't terribly impressed by you. (Kind of a weird feeling for any deity, actually, and one that most didn't respond very well to.) She raised one hand, and there was a loud cawing sound from up above - and four of the birds started plummeting towards you, hellfire burning at the edges of their wings as they dove.

Init (Enemy): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Init (You): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

You can surge to try and get ahead of them if you'd like - or we can simply proceed with the enemies acting first. The birds are 30 feet away, and approaching fast.

init surge: 1d6 ⇒ 5

dmg: 4d10 ⇒ (1, 7, 4, 7) = 19
DC 17 will negates

Harath unleashes a Mind Thrust at the enemy before rushing forward in an attempt to spoil the birds' ability to maneuver into an attack position on him this turn.

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Her mind wasn't the strongest, but she seemed especially determined - and somehow managed to find the force of will necessary to shatter your Mind Thrust. The Hellhound stepped forward and, with a growl, exhaled a cone of fire that washed over your position.

Fire Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5
Reflex DC 14 Halves: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Dodging the worst of the flames wasn't especially hard - you were, however, vulnerable to the rapidly-flying birds as they closed in on you.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Incidentally, your stat bar should have your normal numbers, and any temporary bonuses can be in OOC format. XD Helps me know what numbers I sould be looking at and why.

Finally, the woman herself sent a pair of crossbow bolts your way from her handheld weapons, clearly trying to take advantage of just how swarmed you were getting.

Ranged: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Ranged: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

atk: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
dmg: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 4 + (3) = 13
atk: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
dmg: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 4 + (3) = 12

Harath swung at the birds, likely to no avail.

Without hesitation, the birds started to swirl around you in a neat formation, pecking and scratching for all they work as they swarmed.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 2 = 18
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 2 = 22
Bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 2 = 14
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 2 = 23
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
Bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 2 = 21
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 2 = 21
Bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
Talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 2 = 22

Fortunately for you, your defenses were excellent - you really only had to worry about a lucky hit from them, and otherwise, you could continue fending them off. The dog was hanging back for now, panting a bit and recharging its power as its master raised her crossbows and fired again.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13